trade agreement
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Data protection safeguards needed in EU-Vietnam trade agreements
On 12 February 2020, the European Parliament gave consent for the ratification of the EU-Vietnam trade and investment agreements. The trade agreement contains two cross-border data flow commitments. The related data protection safeguards in this agreement are similar to the ones in the EU-Japan agreement, which entered into force in February 2019. Civil society organisations […]
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EU – Japan trade agreement undermines algorithmic transparency
The EU trade agreement with Japan undermines algorithmic transparency, Dutch EDRi member Vrijschrift wrote in a letter to the Dutch Parliament.
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The European Commission rightly decides to defend citizens’ privacy in trade discussions
On 31 January 2018, the European Commission adopted horizontal clauses on data flows, data protection and privacy in trade deals. On 9 February, these provisions were leaked.
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New leaks confirm TiSA proposals that would undermine civil liberties
Today, on 25 November 2016, German blog Netzpolitik.org in association with Greenpeace published new leaked documents concerning the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), a “trade” agreement that is currently being negotiated between 23 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including the European Union.
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CETA signature ignores Agreement’s flaws
On 30 October 2016, Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) will be signed between Canada and the European Union. The text includes special rights for corporations, new obligations on so-called “intellectual property rights” and measures which create significant risks for citizens’ fundamental rights, most notably with regard to privacy and data protection.
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Civil society urges EU leaders to protect citizens’ data in trade agreements
European Digital Rights (EDRi), together with 20 civil rights organisations and individual signatories, sent a letter to the leaders of the European Union. In the letter, a broad coalition urges the European Commission and Member State representatives to resist pressure and come forward with proposals which will not sacrifice citizens’ fundamental rights. EU leaders must […]
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Corporate-sponsored privacy confusion in the EU on trade and data protection
After the “Privacy shield” was adopted on 12 July 2016, the European Commission started internal discussions about whether or not to include “data flows” and “data localisation” clauses in Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and in the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). It appears that the European Commission Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG […]
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TiSA leaks set alarm bells ringing
Read this in German. Despite the rumours and assertions by several Member States that Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is dead, the fight for safeguarding citizens’ rights and freedoms via so-called “trade agreements” is far from over. Now it is time to address the threat from the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). Just days […]
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What digital rights are at imminent risk? All of them.
Our civil rights in the digital environment are based on our rights to protect our personal security and data, our right to communicate freely, and our right for any restrictions to be necessary, predictable and proportionate. Every one of these rights is now under imminent threat.
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Study launch: The EU can achieve data protection-proof trade agreements
Today, on 13 July 2016, the University of Amsterdam’s Institute for Information Law (IViR) released a study on data protection and trade that BEUC, EDRi, CDD and TACD had commissioned. The purpose of the study was to have an independent assessment on the respect of privacy and data protection by trade agreements being negotiated by […]
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BEUC and EDRi urge the EU Commission not to undermine citizens’ privacy in trade agreements
On 10 June 2016, the European Consumers Association (BEUC) and European Digital Rights (EDRi) sent an open letter to the EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, to express our concerns about the inclusion of a ban on (non-defined) “data localisation” in trade agreements. We urge the Commission to defend one of the biggest successes of […]
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EU Trade Secrets Directive: A sad day for the freedom of expression
On 14 April, the European Parliament adopted the deeply flawed EU Trade Secrets Directive. This is a sad state of affairs, that does not reflect well on the quality of the EU legislature, both on process and on substance. On process, it started with Commission-sponsored research that was deeply flawed and misleading. At no point […]
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